A shout-out to 99designs’ leading women

A few weeks ago, we had a conversation with Brenda Chapman — the writer and director of Pixar’s Brave — about her story as a female creative. At 99designs, there are many talented female designers that have been competing in the male-dominated industry of design.

Some have been with 99designs for over four years, and some less than a year. Though they come from different countries, and with different backgrounds and experience in design, these women have inspired others through their design work as well as leadership in the community.

Najla is a cherished member of our 99designs community. For the past four years, she has been producing inspiring work and giving support and advice to fellow designers about how to succeed on 99designs.

Also a full-time graduate student in architecture, she teaches us what it takes to pursue our dreams.

Corina is committed to seeing the community of female designers grow. She used Facebook and created a support group just for the ladies of 99designs. Here they can share their inspiration, struggles, and stories.

In her designer profile, Elena has taught us to do what we love and dedicate ourselves to it. This is the key to success. She has dedicated her life to family and design, and sure enough, she has been successful.

“Female designers happen to be great illustrators. We are aware of our talent and we never hesitate to show it in public. Among our creative gift, we are also gifted with patience and responsibility, and when putting everything together, we are capable of taking things to perfection.” -Elena

A single mother of 4, Dora takes advantage of the 99designs platform and spends time with her kids while working. Building contacts and clients from all over the world, her story shows us the true potential of what the site can be to a designer.

Dian has been with 99designs for only 1 year, but her impact upon the community has been exceptional. Her fellow Indonesian designers are indebted to her community-building efforts and her engaging conversations about what it means to be a great designer, on and off the site.

We applaud these designers and encourage you to do so in the comments!